Gas apparatus



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

GAS APPARATUS.

G. F. GATTELL.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 2.

C. F. GATTELL. GAS 'A PPARATUS.

No. 493,975. Patented Mar. 21', 1893'.

m m. Q n

1N0 Model.) A I 4 SheetsSh'eet 4,

G. P. GATTELL. GAS APPARATUS.

No. 493,975. Patented Mar 21, 1893.

-W 0Z Oz l of ig Ar" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FRANKLIN OATTELL, OF DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,975, dated March21, 1893.

Application filed April 16, 1891- $erial No. 889,154. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FRANKLIN GAT- TELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Darby, in the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GasApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for producing either illuminatingor fuel gas.

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus with one or moreretorts that will make coal, oil, or water gas separately, therefore itmay be used to make all coal gas or oil gas without mixing the gases.The retorts above referred to may be set at any angle, inclined orotherwise and are each provided with an injector suitable to make avapor of superheated steam and liquid hydrocarbon, or superheated steamliquid hydrocarbon and air, and further a vapor of superheated steamliquid hydrocarbon and hydrogen. The vaporizer is attached to a head ormanifold having one or more tubes (preferably five) extending into, andon, the bottom of the retort or retorts, said tubes being capped on endor they may run the entire length of the retort. These tubes areperforated or they may be provided with suitable slots or otheropenings, and are cast in the walls or floor of the retort or retortsthe entire length of the same. The inner Walls or floor of the retortare provided with suitable perforations leading direct into the tubes.Each tube it provided with a gage and a regulating cock, and each retortand vaporizer is also provided with a gage, (not shown.) The tubes areso constructed that the proportion of the pierced holes in the same arefifty to one allowing for friction, this causes the vapor to begenerated and blended or rather the atoms of the liquid hydro-carbon,dry steam, and air, are welded together forming gas which is forced outof said holes in streams making a whirlwind of gases which comes incontact with the fixing surface in the retort. Each retort is providedwith two or more pipes in rear of the bench one of which descends directinto a suitable washer box or hydraulic main and is provided with awater pipe (a spray being preferable) to cool the gas and drop the tarclose to the exit at mouth piece of the retort. The other pipe abovereferred to is provided with a valve and connects with the flue or stackwhich valve, when opened, raises the carbon (with natural draft) toincandescence. Flanges are cast on the ends of the retorts by means ofwhich mouth pieces are attached to the same; and with the above in viewmy invention consists in the parts and combination of parts ashereinafter fully set out.

In the drawingsz-Figure l is a front elevation of my apparatus withmouth piece in section. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of thesame. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the bench showing the rear head insection. Fig. 4t is an enlarged detail top plan of the manifold andtubs. Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of the retort. Fig. 6 is a crosssection of the retort. Fig. 7 is another form of retort.

A represents the casing of the apparatus and B the retorts composedpreferably of fire clay. The retorts are provided with flanges l5 and Bto which are attached in a suitable manner the front and rear mouthpieces B and B respectively. This manner of attaching the mouth piecesto the retort proper enables the operator to remove deposits should theyform in the tubes or generators b without disturbing the rest of theretort. The mouth piece 13 is provided with a draft pipe B having avalve.

b are generators where gas is generated from suitable materials. Thesetubes are perforated and are preferably cast in the floor of the retort.

b are holes or perforations leading from the saidtubes into the chamberof the retort.

b is the floor of the retort. The rear mouth pieces B before referred toare provided with an ascension pipe b and a descensionpipe b. Theascension pipe 5 is provided with a suitable valve b and is connectedwith the flue or stack of the furnace.

b is a water spray. The descension pipe b as before stated leads directto the washer box or hydraulic main 0 located immediately under the rearmouth piece B The pipe 19 is provided with a water spray b which isplaced as close as possible to the exit at mouth IOO piece B This spraycauses the tar to drop, partially cools the gas and prevents anyclogging of the pipes thereafter. The retort is provided with aperforated back b which prevents the coal from falling into the backmouth piece and by its use causes the gas to flow through carbon.

D is one end of the manifold pipe provided with a suitable gage (notshown) and d is a regulating valve on the tubes Z) and d are valveswhereby the said tubes or chambers b may be cleaned by a jet of steam orotherwise. d are small tubes suitably connected to the tubes 1) andleading to the gages d In this connection attention is called to thefact that I provide each tube or chamber 1) with a gage d thus enablingme to determine at a glance the condition of the respective tubes 12.This is necessary inasmuch as each tube is, in itself, a generator. Thegages above referred to are each provided with floats d which serve toprevent the liquid in the gages from being forced out by either pressureor vacuum. The float may be made of rubber, cork, or other suitablematerial, but preferablya small rubber ball is placed in the glass tubeof the gage. If the pressure forces the liquid up to end of gage thefloat closes the nick which prevents blowing out of said liquid.

E is the fire chamber and E are the grate bars. Secured to the alternatebars are rings 6 which serve to keep the bars apart and allow them to bemoved separately thereby saving fuel.

6 is the furnace door and e is an open space above the fire chamberwhereby the heat may circulate beneath the floor of the retort. Coal,coke, or carbon of any kind, (gas coal preferably) is charged into saidretort, or retorts. After the charge of gas coal (if gas coal be used)is carbonized the coke or carbon in the said retort, is in a state ofpartial incandescence, the front lid of the retort is lighted off andremoved, then the valve on the pipe is opened, thus creating a draft ofair through said retort to complete incandescence. Or preferably a blastof air is forced into the generating tubes 1), which escapes through theperforated holes I) thence up through the coke or carbon, therebycleaning the generating tubes 1) and the holes b of all coal dust andsmall particles of carbon and at the same time, heating the coke to aperfect incandescence. Then the oil, steam and air from the injector isforced into the tubes 1) which are bright red hot where it is convertedinto gas which escapes through the small openings 1) into the retortproper, where it comes into contact with the incandescent coke or carbonand is fixed into a permanent gas. From thence it flows through theperforated back 11 and through the pipe 19 into the washer box orhydraulic main. The gas while passing through the pipe b is partiallycooled, by the spray I), close to its exit from the mouth piece. Thisspray in addition to cooling the gas causes the tar to be dropped atthis point. The gas is taken from washer box by a suitable exhauster.

The great advantage of employing bright red hot tubes b (about 1,700 to2,300 Fahrenheit) is for cracking or breaking up the liquid oil andblending or welding the atoms together when introduced as a vapor withdry steam and hot air. As the composition of petroleum or liquidhydrocarbon is such that it will not all blend, or weld at the sametemperature but must necessarily form a percentage of liquidhydro-carbon vapor varying from twenty to forty per cent. together withthe superabundance of steam (not taken up in the welding process) passesthrough the small perforationsin the tubes into and commingling with abed of white hot fuel (2,800 to 3,200 Fahrenheit) in the retort chamberwhere it is converted into gases belonging to the marsh gas seriesethane, ethylene, &c. This intense heat, which the gas passes through,does not break down or destroy the gaseous hydrocarbon as would besupposed, from the fact that the hydrocarbon vapor is mixed with theproper proportion of diluents and the gas is taken from the retort asfast as generated and welded, (one retort producing as much as twothousand cubic feet per hour) and there still exists a small per centageof hydrocarbon vapor which is carried along with the lighter gases bytheir carrying power to the burner where it assists the illuminants.

When the valve, on pipe b leading to the stack, is opened to create anatural draft, a blast of air may be forced with proper connections intotubes b, (in conjunction with, and at the same time, the natural draftis working) to free said tubes of any deposit and assist the naturaldraft in heating the carbon in retort. By the construction of said tubesin the floor of the retort and the attachment of the mouth pieces, asshown, a rod or other suitable cleaner may be pushed through the tubesthe entire length for the purpose of cleaning the same withoutinterfering with the retort.

Ihave herein shown a gas making apparatus, a retort and an injector,butdo not claim herein the gas making apparatus or the injector as theywill form the subject matter of other applications.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.

1. The combination with the gas retort provided with thetube 1) openinginto the retort by means of small perforations, and the gages connectedwith each tube of the rear mouth piece provided with the rear ascensionpipe the lower end of which extends into the said mouth piece a suitabledistance, the damper b and the pipe b provided with awater spray closeto the mouth piece, all combined and operating substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the gas retort having the perforated back 12 andthe generators b provided with the valves d, gages concombined andoperating substantially as denected to each of the generators, of therear scribed. to mouth piece provided with the ascension pipe Intestimony whereof I aifix my signature in leading to the stack andprovided with a presence of two witnesses.

damper, the lower end of said pipe extending CHARLES FRANKLIN GATTELL.into the mouth piece a suitable distance and Witnesses: the pipe 12leading to a suitable hydraulic JAMES MCGAHEY,

main and provided with the water spray b all HARRY SIPLER.

